Pages

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Top April Fools Hoaxes

Do you play April Fool tricks on your family or have you ever been the victim of one? I love a good prank - even if I am the victim! Laughing is good for a person!
I found a listing of the top ten hoaxes that were done for April Fools in the past and thought you would enjoy reading about them.



#10: Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity
1976: The British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at 9:47 AM a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event was going to occur that listeners could experience in their very own homes. The planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a gravitational alignment that would counteract and lessen the Earth's own gravity. Moore told his listeners that if they jumped in the air at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would experience a strange floating sensation. When 9:47 AM arrived, BBC2 began to receive hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to have felt the sensation. One woman even reported that she and her eleven friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the room.



9: Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers Hotheaded Naked Ice Borer1995: Discover Magazine reported that the highly respected wildlife biologist Dr. Aprile Pazzo had found a new species in Antarctica: the hotheaded naked ice borer. These fascinating creatures had bony plates on their heads that, fed by numerous blood vessels, could become burning hot, allowing the animals to bore through ice at high speeds. They used this ability to hunt penguins, melting the ice beneath the penguins and causing them to sink downwards into the resulting slush where the hotheads consumed them. After much research, Dr. Pazzo theorized that the hotheads might have been responsible for the mysterious disappearance of noted Antarctic explorer Philippe Poisson in 1837. "To the ice borers, he would have looked like a penguin," the article quoted her as saying. Discover received more mail in response to this article than they had received for any other article in their history.



#8: The Left-Handed Whopper
1998: Burger King published a full page advertisement in USA Today announcing the introduction of a new item to their menu: a "Left-Handed Whopper" specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new whopper included the same ingredients as the original Whopper (lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, etc.), but all the condiments were rotated 180 degrees for the benefit of their left-handed customers. The following day Burger King issued a follow-up release revealing that although the Left-Handed Whopper was a hoax, thousands of customers had gone into restaurants to request the new sandwich. Simultaneously, according to the press release, "many others requested their own 'right handed' version."



#7: Alabama Changes the Value of Pi
1998: The April 1998 issue of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter contained an article claiming that the Alabama state legislature had voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to the 'Biblical value' of 3.0. Soon the article made its way onto the internet, and then it rapidly spread around the world, forwarded by email. It only became apparent how far the article had spread when the Alabama legislature began receiving hundreds of calls from people protesting the legislation. The original article, which was intended as a parody of legislative attempts to circumscribe the teaching of evolution, was written by physicist Mark Boslough.



#6: Nixon for President
1992: National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation program announced that Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again. His new campaign slogan was, "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." Accompanying this announcement were audio clips of Nixon delivering his candidacy speech. Listeners responded viscerally to the announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and outrage. Only during the second half of the show did the host John Hockenberry reveal that the announcement was a practical joke. Nixon's voice was impersonated by comedian Rich Little.



#5: San Serriffe
image1977: The British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven-page supplement devoted to San Serriffe, a small republic said to consist of several semi-colon-shaped islands located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately described the geography and culture of this obscure nation. Its two main islands were named Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse. Its capital was Bodoni, and its leader was General Pica. The Guardian's phones rang all day as readers sought more information about the idyllic holiday spot. Only a few noticed that everything about the island was named after printer's terminology. The success of this hoax is widely credited with launching the enthusiasm for April Foolery that gripped the British tabloids in subsequent decades.



#4: The Taco Liberty Bell
Taco Liberty Bell1996: The Taco Bell Corporation announced it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged citizens called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell was housed to express their anger. Their nerves were only calmed when Taco Bell revealed, a few hours later, that it was all a practical joke. The best line of the day came when White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale. Thinking on his feet, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold. It would now be known, he said, as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.



#3: Instant Color TV
image1962: In 1962 there was only one tv channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that, thanks to a new technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their tv screen. Stensson proceeded to demonstrate the process. Thousands of people were taken in. Regular color broadcasts only commenced in Sweden on April 1, 1970.



#2: Sidd Finch
Sidd Finch1985: Sports Illustrated published a story about a new rookie pitcher who planned to play for the Mets. His name was Sidd Finch, and he could reportedly throw a baseball at 168 mph with pinpoint accuracy. This was 65 mph faster than the previous record. Surprisingly, Sidd Finch had never even played the game before. Instead, he had mastered the "art of the pitch" in a Tibetan monastery under the guidance of the "great poet-saint Lama Milaraspa." Mets fans celebrated their teams' amazing luck at having found such a gifted player, and Sports Illustrated was flooded with requests for more information. In reality this legendary player only existed in the imagination of the author of the article, George Plimpton.



#1: The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest
spaghetti harvest1957: The respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied, "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Cooking Thursday


Today's recipe is so yummy! I don't make it too often because it's not the most healthy, but for an occasional treat it's the best! And it's pretty easy to make, compared to most cheesecakes.
For more recipes, visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.



Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups (about 18) crushed oreo's
1/4 cup melted butter
3 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup miniature chocolate chips
1 teaspoon flour

Preheat oven to 300 degree.Combine oreo's and butter; press into 9" springform pan.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add condensed milk and beat until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Toss together 1/2 cups chocolate chips with flour to coat. Gently stir into cream cheese mix.
Pour onto crust. Sprinkle remaining chips over top.
Bake for one hour. Cool to room temperature, then chill.
Keep refrigerated.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Go Promos


I got an email last week from GO Promos and I had fun looking around their site at all the fun things available to have personalized to hand out to costumers.
I thought I would show you some of the things I would like to pick up if I was at a show that had these promotional items.

I don't think there is anyone who can't use a pen! These Bic Clic Stic pens look like nice ones.



And of course, personalized notepads are always handy!



A custom water bottle would be nice.





I think these tote bags would be picked up in a hurry!



But - these stress relievers are my favorite! The fact that they are Dr's and nurses makes me smile, and I love playing with this type of thing.

Which thing would you pick up?

Monday, March 28, 2011

A bad situation


This bridge is on the Old Donner Pass Highway. It has a spectacular view of Donner Lake and Donner Pass on Route 80.
Look closely at the Arch under the bridge.




A bear was walking across Rainbow Bridge (Old Hwy 40 at Donner Summit and Truckee) when 2 cars crossing the bridge, scared the bear. The bear jumped over the edge of the bridge. Somehow he caught the ledge and was able to pull itself to safety. Authorities decided that nothing could be done to help that night so they returned the next morning, when they found the bear asleep on the ledge.



They secured a net under the bridge.


The bear was tranquilized, and fell into the net.


It was lowered down while it slept.


And when it woke up - it walked out onto solid ground.


There is a moral to this story:
When confronted with a bad situation, often the best solution is to stop worrying and let the Lord take care it!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Wall Expression Party

My friend Melissa invited me to a Wall expression party at her house last week. I'm sure you've seen the verses or quotes on a wall. We could order something like that, but this party had a twist. We each got to make a sign, with a saying of our choice, and were able to choose the color and size we wanted!


Align RightHere we are gathered in Melissa's garage, picking out colors, sayings, boards...


Then it's time to paint...


While we waited for the paint to dry, we had some goodies and did a little talking.



Then it was time to get the saying positioned and rub it on...


And then - the big reveal! Peeling off the backing to see how it looks!


Some of us sanded the edges of our sign to finish it.


Here are our finished products. I think they all turned out great!


This is the sign I made.


And here it is in my Dining room. I've been looking for something to put in that spot for a while and I really like this.
The name of this business is Mandy's Wall Expressions. If you live in West Michigan and would like to do something like this or want to order something for yourself, check out Mandy's site. It's full of good things!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Cooking Thursday


Today's recipe is one I just made for the first time and we really liked it. It's a crock pot recipe with a twist. It can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, and you know I love freezer meals!

For more recipes, visit Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.


Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
28 ounce can tomato sauce
6 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup cottage cheese
4 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
8 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles
1 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon dried garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Combine the ground beef, tomato sauce, tomato paste, 1 cup water, minced onion, seasoned salt and garlic and place in a gallon size ziploc bag.
Combine mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning and place in quart size ziploc bag.
Break lasagna noodles into thirds and place into quart size ziploc bag.
Place all 3 bags into gallon ziploc bag and freeze.

To prepare, thaw, then:
Spoon 1/4 beef mixture in bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.
Layer 1/3 of noodles over beef, breaking noodles as needed.
Layer 1/3 of cheese over noodles.
Repeat beef, noodles and cheese twice, then top with remaining beef mix.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours, then uncover and cook for another 30 minutes.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Wordless Wednesday


I know that it's supposed to be wordless, but I wanted to explain the picture.
It's been raining and sleeting today. The snow is melted and the bayou of the Grand River near us is flooding. The bayou usually only occupies the back part of this shot, but as you can see, it's overflowed the banks!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Shoo the Flu!


I've posted frequently about the good and bad times I have working in a Nursing Home.
Last week was one of the bad times.
It seems that no matter how strong of precautions we take, we always have an episode of flu go through the building once every winter. This year, we were thinking that we avoided it, but it wasn't so. All it takes is for one person to come in with it. Last week the dreaded flu bug arrived.
This was one of the nastier bugs we've seen lately. It hits with very little warning, and brings with it vomiting and other issues you don't want to hear about.
We try to keep our residents that are sick isolated from others, which can prove to be very difficult when they have dementia. The other thing that happens is staff get it. So - when working under difficult situations, you may have to work extra or longer than usual.
I was working down the quarantined hall for 3 days last week, which then caused me to question every little twinge or unusual feeling and wonder if I was coming down with it!
The happy news is that things are markedly improved. Most of the residents are better and so is the staff. And so far.... I'm still healthy!
And hopefully that's the end of it for this year!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Good bye Snirt, Hello Spring

Last weekend we had to set our clocks forward an hour, which is always a good sign that Spring is coming! I've also seen a few robins, something that is a good herald of Spring here in Michigan.
Last week, Kim left a comment here that it was time to get rid of the snow on my blog, since Spring was coming. Of course, I listened to her!
I also decided it was time to get rid of this guy:
This is an old milk can that came from my Dad's farm. It sits by our garage door, and I put different signs in it, to go with the season. I took out the snowman and put in one that say's Welcome Friends, with flowers instead of snow.


I'm posting this picture for Pat of Living on Grace. She lives on the other side of Michigan and last week she posted a picture of her snirt. She says snow + dirt equals snirt! She only had a small patch left. I have quite a bit because much of our yard is shaded. Hopefully this will be gone soon, although I did hear a forecast that said more of that white stuff may be coming on Wednesday. Hopefully they are wrong!



And here, in another section on our yard is a wonderful thing! The crocus are starting to come up! These signs of spring make me happy!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Crazy Frogs

Here's a little clip that is sure to make you smile!


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Monday, March 14, 2011

Gotta love Jimmy Johns

Do you have a Jimmy Johns near you? They make great sandwiches, but I also enjoy reading the signs they have hanging all over.
I was there last week and took pictures of some of my favorites.
Some are funny, most are pretty wise!
See what you think...







Sunday, March 13, 2011

Happy Birthday, Dad!

I've been so blessed by the family I was born into. I was given Christian parents who worked hard to raise us knowing God, knowing how to work and with lots of love!
My Mom passed away 7 years ago, but my Dad is doing well - happy and healthy!
It was my Dad's 80th birthday on Friday, and on Saturday my brother, 2 sisters and I had an Open House for him.

Here's Dad before the open house. I don't think he looks 80 and he sure doesn't act it!



Some of the pictures we had set up. The picture on the left is my Dad and his younger sister. He came from a family of 10 kids. (He was the fifth) One sister died as a child and his oldest sister died a few years ago but the rest of his siblings are all living and in good health.


One of the cakes at the open house.




Dad and Ann. They got married a couple of years ago. Her first husband died about 10 years ago and it's a blessing to all of us to see them together. They both had happy first marriages and all of their kids are happy to see them enjoying each other.
Don't you think they are cute? :)


This is me with my Dad's sister Esther.(the same one that was in the picture with him as a child)
Those two got into a lot of trouble as kids and if you look at them now, you can still see the mischief in their eyes!


Here's a group of the grand kids. I'm thankful that they have remained close and all get along well.


My Mom had 9 kids in her family, but only one sister. This is her sister Jo.
Uncle John, Aunt Jo, Dad, cousin Lori and her husband Dad



Two of Dad's brothers - Alan and Henry


There was lots of talking and reminiscing.



After the Open house was done we took a picture of the whole group. This is the whole family except Heather who is in Myrtle Beach with friends and Andy who is in Afghanistan.

We had fun seeing some of Dad's old friends, army buddies and family members. I know Dad enjoyed himself too!